An explosion rips through the hive city of Charcharoth and leads to the collapse of the 5,000-meter-tall Sublimis Tower. More than 100,000 citizens were killed by the terrorist attack.

“Acts of terrorism are acts of heresy. Mankind rules the galaxy only because we put duty above our individual needs, we unite behind our Emperor, and because the failure of Imperial rule means death, destruction, and eternal damnation. It is time to raise the banner of war against the mutant terrorists we face today.“—Fabius Nemetorius, grand elector and planetary governor of Morkai

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Continued from Part 2 . . . 

Morkai shocked by terrorist attack

Instead of challenging Imperial rule through military action, mutant rebels on the desert world of Morkai limited themselves this past year to a number of terrorist acts against Imperial rule.

Although most of these attacks were of little military consequence, the attack on the Sublimis Spire, a satellite tower of the hive city of Charcharoth, shook Imperial authorities and citizens to the core. On 6 320 745.M41, mutants sabotaged a promethium fuel facility that exploded and collapsed the entire 5,000-meter tall tower.

More than 150,000 citizens were killed, but more fearsome was the panic and loss of confidence in the planetary government’s ability to maintain order.

“While this tragedy will spark fear in the hearts of our citizenry, I remind everyone that the Emperor protects,” Grand Elector Fabius Nemetorius said in  a public broadcast. “We take the mutant threat seriously, and we are going to do all we can to keep people safe—and bring retribution down on those responsible for this heinous crime.” (Mutants destroy hive city spire)

Just prior to this disaster, yet unknown to anyone but the dead, a contingent of Arbites Enforcers had battled the mutant saboteurs as they sought to place their explosives. As is obvious from the disaster, the Enforcers failed in their efforts to prevent the tragedy. (Battle for Sublimis Spire)

A Tau counterattack against the 5th Company of the Knights of Altair Space Marine Chapter led to destruction of most of the company’s armored assets.

Astartes struggle on Namatos

Once an honored contingent of the Damocles Gulf Crusade, the 5th Company of the Knights of Altair Space Marine Chapter has found itself embarrassed by the tenacious defense of Tau forces.

Dropped off the the Crusade Fleet for a quick extermination of the xeno force on Namatos—and expected to return quickly for the journey across the Damocles Gulf—the 5th Company was left behind by the fleet after the Astartes company found itself fighting a numerical superior force and suffered a series of defeats.

Captain Martel Vivant

Shamed by this reversal of fortune, Captain Martel Vivant, commander of the company, launched an assault on a Tau military force on what was known as the Highland Rim. The fighting began on 6 157 745,M41.

Deploying in a compact attack column, Vivant attempted to turn the Tau left flank. But heavy fire from well-placed Riptides and Hammerhead tanks devastated the Astartes’ armor, and the Tau right flank counterattacked and threatened the Imperial rear.

Victory was still in reach until a shot by a Riptide landed directly on Vivant and his bodyguard, killing many and ending his hopes for a last-minute miracle that would bring victory. Retreat was necessary. (Astartes attack fails on Namatos)

On 6 569 745.M41, Vivant once more was trounced by the Tau. Targeting Tau forces that were relatively isolated from the main xeno army, his Space Marines made an aggressive assault on the xenos. But late-arriving enemy reinforcements launched a risky aerial “deep strike” that got behind the Astartes’ tanks and wiped them out, forcing Vivant once again to retreat. (Tau trounce Astartes on Namatos one again)

Inquisitorial agents prepare to enter the ill-reputed Nagarlan Catacombs in an effort to stop Chaos cultists from finding an artifact that would allow a daemon to enter the Materium.

Shadow war on Regno Borealis

The feudal world of Regno Borealis is of no real significance to the Imperium, yet the planet has been the battleground of a shadowy war between the Ordo Hereticus and a Chaos Cult seeking to summon a Greater Daemon of Nurgle to strengthen the Death Guard invasion of Dozaria.

Having learned that a heretic, Thaetos, sought pieces of a psychic key that would allow the summons of the daemon known as Kossogtha, Inquisitorial agent Konrad Gallus has spent the past two years seeking to end the threat.

On 6 751 745.M41, he and a team of acolytes arrived at the Nagarlan Catacombs, an ill-storied place of antiquity, in hopes of finding one of the key pieces before Thaetos found it. Alas, the heretic already was on the site, but after a brief battle,  Gallus was successful in seizing the key piece and escaping the cultists. (Combat in the Nagarlan ICatacombs)

Still unknown is Gallus’ fate. It is believed that cultists shot down his aircraft in the wilderness, and Thaetos was rushing to the crash site. Even if Gallus has survived, it is unclear if the Inquisition will ever share what transpired.

Click here to read Part 4 of this strategic update.

Click here to return to Part 1.

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The Corvus Cluster is a Warhammer 40K blog that documents our hobby adventures in the fantastical sci-fi universe of Games Workshop.